Welsh and Politics

Welsh and politics is a combination that reflects the distinctive character of contemporary Wales, a country with its own language, legislature, and evolving constitutional identity. Welsh is one of the oldest living languages in Europe, spoken by over half a million people and enjoying official status alongside English in Wales, where it is a living medium of politics, culture, education, and everyday life. Politics as a discipline examines the structures and processes of government, the exercise of power, and the values and conflicts that drive political change.

Together, studying Welsh and politics in Wales means engaging directly with the society and institutions the curriculum examines.

At Cardiff University in Cardiff, this three-year full-time programme allows you to develop or deepen your Welsh language skills alongside a rigorous study of politics, with particular attention to Welsh political institutions, the National Assembly, and the devolution settlement, as well as broader study of British and comparative politics and political theory. You will study Welsh language and literature, political systems, ideology, electoral politics, public policy, comparative government, and international relations, developing both your communicative competence in Welsh and your analytical understanding of political processes. Cardiff's location in the Welsh capital means the programme is embedded in the political environment it studies.

Graduates from Welsh and politics programmes go on to work in the Senedd and Welsh Government, political organisations, the civil service, local government, journalism, media, education, public affairs, and the third sector. The ability to work in both Welsh and English is a significant professional asset in Wales, where language skills are required or valued across the public sector. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in politics, public policy, Welsh studies, or law.